The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-04-12
THE BRIDGES BuGABOO.
The Windy Story of the st. Louis
Republican Exploded.
A Spicy Letter From the "Witty''
Captain to Old 1905.
A Very Little IKepublican Mouse
From the Democratic
Mountain.

I'm this mornings st. Louis Repub-
lican appears purpOrted interview
with Hon. l.. l.. Bridges, Sedalia's
representative in the state legislature,
i'm which it is made to appear that
Captain Bridges is seeking to become
speaker of the house for the special
May session, and that he had in a
caucus of Republican members in
st. Louis, SO expressed himself, and
that they had reluctantly consented to
1.-The plot"
A representative of the
BAzoo Immediately hunted
up Captain Bridges and
interviewed him as follows
81 suppose, Captain, you have seen
the article in this mornings Republi-
CAM
"Ies sir"
"Well. what have you to say to it,"
"Of course its a newspaper lie in
the fullest sense of the term, and evil
IDENTIFY gotten out for the purpose of
paving the way to a reorganization of
the house by that part of the demo-
cratic majority that are seeking to
bring it about. | have writ
ten communication to the
Republican in regard to the
matter which expresses my opinion,
and hope they will have the courte-
sy to publish it. Here is a copy Of
it," continued Mr.. Bridges, drawing a
paper from his pocket. at contains
my views upon the matter, and will
probably answer what you desire to
know. | do not care to have you
publish it, but you can get your points
from it."
The BAzoo took the copy, which is
as follows, and is given as the most
direct and implicit statement of
the facts that could be made.
SEDAIIA. Mo-, April 9TH, 1887.
Editor Missouri Republican:
DEAR SIR-In an article in your issue of
to-day am charged with visiting st. Louis
for the purpose Of securing my election as
Speaker of the House OF Representatives,
at the called session, cannet believe that
you would willfully or Intentional y do me
an injustice, and am forced To conclude
that rumors To that effect have been set
ahoat for some reason To me unknown.
| visited 81. Louis on professional bust
ness, TO wit: 10 endeayor 10 effect set
Element with the NJ. p. X. K. for the death
of Mr. McAnna, XII led by the ears at In
dependence, Mo. The widow of the deceas-
ed accompanied me. arrived
in ST. Louis ON Saturday morning and
found that Mr. Jones, claim agent of the
road, was absent from the city. | returned
home on Sunday morning while the lady
remained until Monday for the purpose of
seeing this official, and If possible, adjust
ing her claim. | mention these facts thus
particularly so that ii you think it Of
sufficient importance, the facts may be 10
your possession for confederation or other
wise.
| will say further that | am not can
didate for Speaker and never have thought
of being 50 and would not accept of this very
honorable distinction ii rendered to me, a
circumstance not likely TO occur. ! am
but an humble and obscure member of the
minority party, and | think l
voice the sentiment of each
and every member OF my party in the
house, when say that not one of them
would "bid for" or accept the position of
speaker. | am Republican and willing
and anxious to do what can to advance
NV party in Missouri, not forsthe sake of
the party, but for the sake of the state,
and in my opinion We could not make a
greater mistake than TO aspire To elect
Republican speaker. Success in such
enterprise would, in my Judgment, be
even worse than failure.
do not care TO say anything IN rela-
ton TO my past or future action on rail
road legislation. Ny past action is OF
record, and the future will also be. i
would only mildly suggest that it
might be well enough to allow
me, and not your correspondent,
TO make my future record. trust you
will do nae the justice To publish this state
ment, for in addition TO placing me right
with the readers of your paper, it may
possibly allay the ungrounded fears of
some good democratic aspirant for the
speakership of the house.
Yours truly, l.. L. BRIDGES.